Friday, May 23, 2008

Matt Roush loves him some Bones. But he's not a fan of the end of Season 3. He addressed Bones in both his Dispatch and his Ask Matt column this week.

Dispatch Excerpt:

I wish I had as positive a reaction to the Bones finale, which got off to a good start with a fun if obvious fake-out surrounding Booth’s mock funeral, and Bones’ outrage to have been kept out of the loop. Sweets made the call on that one, and for much of the episode, seemed the most likely suspect as Gormogon’s in-house apprentice. Alas, that wasn’t the case, and that dishonor fell on Zack, the mild-mannered brainiac—delicately and winningly played by Eric Millegan—who apparently could be wooed by logic to service some anonymous cannibalistic serial killer (possibly my least favorite arc on any show this season, and certainly the least satisfyingly resolved).

There was little logic in the telling of this particular story, and the sacrifice of this engaging character (who is being moved to a psych ward, where I suppose he can be enlisted on a guest-star basis in the future—sort of a milquetoast Hannibal Lecter consultant?) seems to me just another cheap sweeps season-ending stunt. Still, kudos to the rest of the cast for keeping it as real as possible as they grieved for their fallen-from-grace comrade. They’re why I wouldn’t give up on Bones just yet.

This was far from the show’s finest hour, but few shows seem able to avoid succumbing to end-of-season sweeps-itis, and it wasn’t nearly as laughable as junk like the incoherent CSI: Miami cliffhanger, which ended with a priceless shot of a fallen Horatio framed by his broken sunglasses. Talk about characters I wouldn’t shed a tear over.

From 'Ask Matt':

Question: I bet this is neither the first nor last Bones-related e-mail you're going to get. What do you think of the reveal that lovable squint Zack was revealed to be Gormogon's apprentice? I think I would have prefered him to be a victim of Gormogon or some other serial killer if they were determined to write the actor out of the show. For me, the best part of Bones is the interaction between the group. I like these characters, and they make me happy. The show makes me smile, and Zack was a big part of that. I have no doubt that the show will still theoretically make me happy next season, but I feel like this really did a lot to damage my feelings towards other seasons. I just can't imagine popping first season DVDs into the player and watching sweet lovable Zack, knowing what will be revealed about him later on in the series. I'm sad we are losing Eric Millegan, sad that the chemistry between the group is going to be missing that ingredient and mostly sad that it was done in such a random way at the very end of the last episode of the season. There was no build-up and that was a huge reveal to spring on people. I hope Hart Hanson know what he's doing with this one, but it doesn't feel that way to me right now. — Brandy

Matt Roush: Next to the eternal anguish of Moonlight fans, this was the hottest topic in my mailbag on another very busy week. I have yet to read a defense of the way this story played out, and my own Dispatch echoes these complaints. It was a very clumsy, unsatisfying way to wrap up the season, the Gormogon arc (which never interested me) and especially the fate of Zack, who deserved a much more "logical" — his favorite word — and dramatically coherent exit. I like how Brandy says this show and its characters make her "happy." That's why I like Bones as well, and why most weeks it's far and away my favorite crime drama. The reason this twist leaves a particularly bitter aftertaste is because it's so out of character — not just for the characters, but for the show. Not that Bones shouldn't cross over to the dark side from time to time, but if it goes there, it needs to do so with the wit and heart and smarts that typically distinguish it from the pack.

Question: Why is it that TV producers think that we as fans need/want to see cast shake-ups in our shows? After watching the pretty much unbelievable (and not in a good way) finale of Bones, I have to ask: Do the writers/producers understand that most people watch these shows because of the characters and how they interact with each other? Changing characters may work on shows like Law & Order where is it a lot more story-driven, but on shows like Bones, the stories are character-driven. Removing a key person from the dynamics doesn't make me enjoy the show more — it's quite the opposite, actually. To me it seems like getting rid of a major character would drive down viewership, not increase it. I don't know many people who think, "Oh, they killed a character in the season finale, I'll have to start watching that show now." Killing people on Lost or The Unit I understand, but having an extremely smart lab rat get seduced into being a serial killer? Not so much. — Jon S.

Matt Roush: Generally, I defend the right of a show and its producers to shake things up from time to time. Without question, many of these shows are watched for the comfort level of following characters we like as they solve crimes or save lives, etc. That's why formulas exist and why they're successful, especially in the weekly grind of series TV. But formulas also grow stale, and shows occasionally want to make noise — alas, too many choose this time of year to do it, so it seems like contrived overload, as it does this spring. And one of the best ways to make noise is to put members of an ensemble in peril, and to bring just a bit of realism into the world of a show that typically allows its regulars to survive close shaves with death each week and walk away unscathed. Sacrificing a character for the greater good of the show is a concept I can embrace as long as the twist has dramatic impact and makes sense. Bones failed that test this week big time. Whereas the House episode that directly followed had one of its best episodes ever, as Amber died of her injuries. Her agonizingly emotional final scene with Wilson is something no one is likely ever to forget. And I'd just as soon forget that Bones episode ever happened.

It really doesn't bother me as much as it bothers him but as Hart Hanson said - just as long as people are talking then he's happy. It's the silence that scares him.